Bedford Summer Sessions, 29 June – 7 July

Gig festival crowd bedford summer sessions

This annual collection of gigs, (formerly Bedford Park Concerts) are always hotly anticipated and feature BIG names. This year’s line-up kicks off with Avril Lavigne on 29 June, and Jess Glynn on 30 June. Plus there’s an option to book a whole weekend ticket to see both. And you can book ahead now for July, when Tom Jones (supported by Beverley Knight), Pete Tong (supported by Groove Armada), and Nile Rodgers & CHIC (supported by Sophie Ellis-Bextor) feature in the line-up.

Chilfest, Tring, 5 – 6 July

The ultimate retro festival. Warm up to top tribute acts on the Friday including Take That Rule the World, The Smiths UTD, Badness (Madness tribute), Rogue Minogue, I’m Every Whitney and Noasis. Then Saturday is the real deal with 80s and 90s throwbacks including Marc Almond, Scouting for Girls, East 17 Nik Kershaw, Baby D and more. It’s really family friendly too and doesn’t finish too late for little ones.

Sign of the Times, Little Hadham, 5 – 7 July

For an under-the-radar festival this two day extravanganza of rock, indie, punk, mod and britpop pulls some massive names. The Waterboys, Kula Shaker, Travis, Jake Bugg, Feeder, Scouting for Girls and Turin Breaks are amongst the lineup who’ll perform on two stages – one outdoors and one inside a big top. VIP camping and glamping options, plus day tickets are available too, if you’d rather go home to your own bed. And under 5s go free if you want to bring the whole fam.

M Festival, St Albans, 6 July

M Festival is dedicated to showcasing local talent, including that of students from the Marlborough Science Academy, for which it raises funds, along with other local causes. There are some cracking family friendly activities, including a silent disco, rodeo bull, inflatables, and foot darts, and the lineup includes tribute act The Brightside Killers, The Overtures, Captain, Daybreak, Grace George and Electric Umbrella, which creates awesome music experiences for and with learning disabled people.

Amp Rewired, Ampthill, 7 July

Sadly the collection of volunteer-run Ampthill based music festivals, including AmpRocks and AmpProms went into administration earlier this year, however the community have pulled together once more and come up trumps with Amp Rewired – a low key, chilled out day celebration of local music in the Hop Field behind the White Hart in Ampthill. Go and support if you can!

Buzzstock, Leighton Buzzard, 12 – 13 July

Festival goers at Buzzstock festival Leighton Buzzard

Belt your heart out to the best tribute acts in the biz at this two-day festival held in Billington Car Boot Field in Leighton Buzzard. On the Friday line-up are Foo Fighters GB, Arctic Monkeyz and Greenday’s music by Wenz Day, plus local band Tiptoe Apollo. While on Saturday you can dance your way through the weekend to Rikki K’s tribute to Robbie Williams, Furnace and the Fundamentals, Ultimate Coldplay, Taylor Zwift, Ultimate Pop Party Tributes and local band, Talkin’ Loud . Plus there’ll be stand-up comedy, a Happy Arena for crafting fun for all ages, a Gamerz megabus where you can play everything from FIFA to Minecraft, a fairground, facepaint and festival glitter (biodegradable, of course!) and tasty street food. Plus you can camp overnight on site for the Friday and Saturday nights.

At Home Farm Live, Elstree, 14 July – 16 August

Ok, this one’s not a festival as such, but these intimate woodland performances, in association with indie record label, Communion One, are worth a mention here – think fairy lights, hay bale seating and music by moonlight. They’re part of the At Home Live summer season of events and residencies by musicians, chefs and performers. There’s on-site glamping and tickets include a pre-show meal. Perfoming this year are Holly Humberstone and Nick Mulvey, plus on 12 July Ronnie Scott’s Vanessa Haynes sings Aretha Franklin.

Todd in the Hole, Stevenage, 12 – 14 July

The super family friendly fest was set up by two local chaps to celebrate the best of the Herts countryside, live music and good fun in the sun. Now it pulls over 80 artists – including tributes and local ones to watch, plus folk and rock acts – over 3 days on 6 stages. Tribute acts include The Killerz, Rule the World, The Fore Fighters and Stereotonics as well as U2 UK, Definitely Could be Oasis, 7 Wonders of Fleetwood Mac and Arctic Monkeyz to name a few. There’ll also be great food on offer, DJ after parties (hosted by Dave Pearce on Friday and Car Wash on Saturday) plus a kids’ arena with loads of activities, a and, new for 2024, a dance den in the woods and cabaret and cocktails stage.

Folk by the Oak, Hatfield House, 16 July

This easy breezy day festival is all about chilling with a cold bevvy to the sountrack of some of the finest folk acts in the biz. On the main stage this year will be headliners, Levellers, plus The Staves, Senegalese vocalist and Kora musician, Seckou Keita and the Homeland Band, Scottish contemporary folk girlband, HEISK, The London Youth Folk Ensemble (LYFE) and more. There’ll also be a family fun area with crafts and workshops a real ale bar and street food. Don the floral headgear and away you go!

Battle Proms, Hatfield House, 20 July

Load the hampers and pop the Champers for this explosive celebration of pomp and ceremony. Once again the glorious grounds of Hatfield House will be filled with a rousing orchestral programme of toe-tapping tunes, accompanied by dramatic Spitfire displays, cavalry, canons and a spectacular fireworks finale. Bring your own picnic or pre-book with your tickets. Furniture is available to pre-book too, or opt for a table in the concert pavilion for a super civilised experience.

WIN TICKETS: Head to our Reader Treats and enter by midnight on 3 July.

Bedford Festival Fringe, 18 – 28 July

Bedford’s answer to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the concept behind the Bedford Festival Fringe is to come and see not one, but loads of live shows, from performances of new work by household names, to brand new faces cutting their teeth on the circuit. There’s everything from music and dance to comedy and theatre, plus kids’ entertainment and spoken work coming to various venues in and around Bedford.

St Albans Comedy Garden, Verulamium Park, 24 – 28 July

Who needs a good laugh? This fab funny fest runs over five nights and is a chance to see some of the top comics in the biz. This year’s line up welcomes Jo Brand, Josh Widdicombe, Ross Noble, Dara O ‘Briain and Harry Hill along with Laura Smyth, Mark Watson, Simon Amstell, Shaparak Khorsandi and tonnes more! It’s all live and open air with street food, summer cocktails and craft beer. Lovely!

Big Jiveswing Festival, Cassiobury Park, Watford, 28 July

One for vintage mavens, join one of the UKs largest FREE jazz festivals with world class musicians, cabaret, dance classes (for adults and kids) and a vintage photo booth. There’ll also be family area with a bouny castle, rides and sweet treats, plus food vans.

Wild Canvas, Turvey, 25 July – 27 August

Not your typical festival, Wild Canvas is a pop-up camping experience with a festival vibe that’s returning to the riverside meadow in the grounds of the grand Turvey House this year. There’ll be posh tipis (plus regular camping if you’d rather BYO tent), activities for the kids (think paddleboarding, nature club and superhero disco), wellness sessions, street food and world class DJs. Count us in! Read our 6 reasons to book, here.

Rock at the Castle, Hertford Castle, 4 August

Always a winner for a fun family day out, this annual FREE festival is set against the iconic backdrop of our county city’s castle. Enjoy music from local rock, indie and folk bands, roll out the picnic rug and grab a bite and a bevvy from the stalls. There’ll also be kids’ activities. Just bear in mind that there’s no parking at the castle itself, and while its free to attend, donations to the annual chosen charity are welcomed so bring some cash for the collection buckets.

Classic Ibiza, Hatfield Park, 17 August

Classic Ibiza concert outdoor stage with lighting

Transport yourself to clubbers’ nirvana for for Classic Ibiza – a homage to heady Ibiza nights. It might not be on a sun-drenched island or involve partying into the small hours (gates close at 10.30pm), but you can bring a picnic and relax in the setting of Hatfield park to chilled out DJ sets and live orchestral club music. This year sees 16 new tracks join the 40 iconic club classics performed by Urban Soul Orchestra, with DJ Goldirocks, a set by set by former Pacha Ibiza resident, DJ Jose Luis, and a spectacular light show. Glowsticks at the ready.

Goatfest, Codicote, 23 – 25 August

Goatfest has grown from a small, free one-dayer in a pub beer garden to a three-day extravaganza with over 60 acts across four stages, plus a live DJ arena. The line-up features Showaddywaddy and The South, and while many of the other acts may not be household names, it’s a great chance to discover some new music from up-and-coming performers on the festival circuit, as well as some homegrown talent. And in case you were wondering… no goats were involved in the making of this festival!

Twinwood Festival, Clapham, Bedfordshire, 23 – 26 August

female singers in vintage polkadot dresses — Photograph © Gareth Millar Photography

Don the floral headscarfs, up-dos and swing skirts, and slap on the red lippy for this celebration of vintage music, dance and fashion. There’ll be a fab line-up of bands and artists to get you bopping, dance classes where you can perfect your lindy hop, and fashion stalls to up your vintage game, plus the popular Miss and Mr Vintage comp! You can also discover more about times gone by at the museum and memorabilia stands, as well the permanent displays at the Twinwood Airfield site.

Benington Lordship Chilli Festival, Stevenage, 24 – 26 August

Like things hot and spicy? (naughty!) Then you’ll love this three-day fest dedicated to the humble chilli. There’ll be over 60 stalls selling everything from chilli plants to fiery chutney and chilli chocolate, international street food, local beers and cocktails with a kick, entertainment from Legends Festival Band, erm, ferret racing AND the famous chilli eating comp – but can you handle the heat?!

Bedford Run Fest, Russell Park, Bedford, 7 – 8 Sept

A little less lazing about in a field, and a little more action! This one’s calling on sporty types to sign up to the Mini-mile, Bedford 5k, Twilight 10K, Bedford Half Marathon or 20-mile race. Or you couuullld just sit back and soak up the atmosphere in the festival village, where there’ll be live music, comedy, a street food market, mobile bar, health and wellbeing area, funfair and open air cinema. What’s more, entry to the festival (for non-runners) is FREE! Hmm, let me think…

Pub in the Park, St Albans, 6 – 8 Sept

outdoor festival stage at pub in the park st albans

Catch Tom Kerridge’s popular gourmet-scran-meets-live-music fandango Pub in the Park over at Verulamium Park in St Albans this September. This year he’s joined by top chefs including Simon Rimmer, Matt Tebbutt and Atul Kochhar doing their thing on the demo stage. And you can try dishes from their restaurants and some fab local ones, too. As well as tucking into top-level food there’s a seriously credible musical line-up including a Tinie Tempah, Scouting for Girls, Olly Murs and Paloma Faith! There’s no need to book for the whole weekend thanks to the range of ticket packages and offers, from Super Saturday and Lazy Sunday to Morning After tickets as well as VIP options. Tasty!

Dogfest, Knebworth House, 21 – 22 Sept

Back for a barking good time, this popular fest for pampered pooches is a a fab day out for the whole fam. With world-class displays from top canine athletes and have-a-go activities to free expert advice and workshops, plus a shopping area with over 100 stalls selling doggy products and treats, there’s plenty to get tails wagging. Don’t miss the Big Dog Walk, Dog School, Breed Meet-ups, Behaviour Zone and the chance win the coveted ‘Best in Show’ prize at the Fun Dog Show.

HAVE WELLIES, WILL TRAVEL…

Here’s the best of the bunch over the borders.

F1 Grand Prix Weekend, Silverstone Circuit, 4-7 July

F1 Formala One Grand Prix Festival Weekend Silverstone Circuit Northants Northamptonshire

The British Grand Prix is definite bucket-list territory. World class sport and an epic, weekend-long festival for over 400,000 fans with a live music line-up of Kings of Leon, Stormzy, Pete Tong and Rudimental, parties, djs, kids entertainment, fun fairs and more A-lister celeb spotting than Northants is ready for (actually no, we’re seriously ready for you Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt…). Vroom.

Henley Festival, Henley, 10 – 14 July

You can never be overdressed at the Henley Festival, so swap Regatta week’s striped blazer get-up for black tie glitz on the banks of the Thames. Queen of the floating stage on opening night is Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, followed over the five (hopefully) balmy summer nights by the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, Gladys Knight and violin virtuoso Nigel Kennedy. Chin chin at the Moet champagne bar!

Wilderness Festival, Cornbury Park, 1 – 4 Aug

Expect an uber-posh car-park (Audi sponsors this year’s fiesta) at the Wilderness festival, where David Cameron was famously spotted in the VIP tent. It’s the Soho Farmhouse of British festivals with prices to match – so if you can stomach shelling out for the gourmet F&B, get set for a weekend of Cotswolds high-jinks c/o the likes of Alison Goldfrapp, Faithless and Jessie Ware before crashing out in a perfectly pitched luxury yurt. Pilates is one of many optional wellness extras, but fancy dress is compulsory. Theme tbc.

Stowaway, Stowe, 16-18 August

Step into a secret world of ancient woodland and lakes with hidden parties, relaxation, comedy, food, revelry, kids entertainment, music and, of course, Barrioke (no festival is complete without it). Leftfield and Groove Armada top the bill, plus there’s a boutique glamping area nestled among the trees and a glorious outdoor spa.

Shambala Festival, Northampton, 22-25 August

The original and still the best, Shambala, which takes place in the absolutely gorgeous grounds of Kelmarsh Hall, isn’t big on household name music bookings for its 12 (yep, 12!) stages but there’s more cabaret, inspiring talks, yoga, circus acts and comedy than you can shake a stick and you will definitely not get bored, plus it’s very family friendly and you even get a discounted ticket if you arrive on your bike.

The Big Feastival, Kingham, 23 – 25 Aug

Ever since Blur bassist Alex James bought a very big house in the country, he’s been throwing a lively annual festival for the Cotswolds crowd – Kate Moss is a regular. Fans say it’s like Glastonbury, but with better food. This August, expect Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons-worthy fare from Raymond Blanc’s local terroir served up with a side-order of Snow Patrol.

And the best of the rest…

Download Festival, Donington Park, 14-16 June

Isle of Wight Festival, Isle of Wight, 20 – 23 June

Wireless Festival, Finsbury Park, London, 12 – 14 July

Kaleidoscope Fesival, Alexandra Palace, London, 13 July

Latitude Festival, Suffolk, 25 – 28 July

Camp Bestival, Dorset, 25 – 28 July

Boardmasters, Cornwall, 7 – 11 Aug

Camp Bestival, Shropshire, 15 – 18 Aug

All Points East, Victoria Park, London, 16 – 25 Aug

Your HOT summer festival guide: Book these in Herts, Beds and beyond

You may also like